The article, published on Wednesday with the headline “How Britain’s far right hijacked the murder of Henry Nowak,” claimed that right-wing figures have “pounced” on body camera footage.
Canada’s public broadcaster CBC published an article arguing that the outrage over the murder of 18-year-old British student Henry Nowak is being perpetuated by the “far-right” and “white grievance.”
The article, published on Wednesday with the headline “How Britain’s far right hijacked the murder of Henry Nowak,” claimed that right-wing figures have “pounced” on body camera footage showing police officers interacting with Nowak after he was stabbed. CBC cited Aaron Winter, a socialist at Lancaster University who researches the “far-right and racism,” to argue that the murder is being used to push the narrative that white people are disadvantaged in the UK.
"It's been central to Brexit, to anti-migrant politics, to the so-called 'white working class left behind' politics," Winter said.
Winter also claimed that Reform UK is highlighting the murder for political gain and “not because they care about the victims."
The case has become a flashpoint in Britain’s ongoing debate over immigration, policing, and public safety. Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage recently accused the UK of having “two-tier policing.”
“The instructions that are given to police officers from police bosses are clear and written down in ink. It says you must treat different ethnic groups in different ways,” Farage said.
Likewise, anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson highlighted race as a factor in Nowak’s death, saying that “As white people, we are treated as second-rate citizens by our own police force."
Nowak was fatally stabbed by a Sikh man who then falsely claimed to police that Nowak had racially abused him. Upon hearing this, officers handcuffed Nowak as he was bleeding and dismissed him as he tried to tell them he was stabbed and couldn’t breathe. Nowak died at the scene shortly after, and Digwa was later convicted of murder.
The backlash over Nowak’s death comes as the right-wing in the UK is surging in support. A survey from earlier this week by YouGov for The Times newspaper showed that Reform UK has the highest support in the country with 27 percent, followed by the Conservatives and Labour, who each have 18 percent.
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